Hmm, can't make this one but maybe next year. Think I will need to get the heated grips fitted for that one too.

On the subject of DriRider jackets, I bought a cheaper (~$200) dririder with a non removable liner. After a while and probably a bit of mistreatment from me, the liner broke and the sleeve part all ended up bunched up down near the cuff making hard to get my fist through. In the end, I made a hole in the mesh, got my hand in there and just ripped out ALL of the liner. Thus making it a bit of a summer jacket.

Also it leaks a bit along some of the seams now, can't remember if it used to before that. So if you buy one with a non removeable liner, maybe treat it nicely. I used to screw it up into a small backpack etc before I got my giant topbox.

Who'd have thought shopping for riding stuff is as fun as shopping for climbing gear? Got me a nice Ixon Ranger jacket ($250 reduced from $450) - it's uber-insulated. Time will tell how waterproof it is and for how long. Also got a new Ixon Leather jacket because it was value too - and because it matches my helmet. Good toys.

Hey all am back off for another track day at Broadford on Monday. Last one was fantastic and got good use from my lap timer on the bike(will be looking to go faster on Monday). Learnt a lot about the cornering and especially the braking on the Buell, that front disc really, really works back tyre in the air works.I f you have not done one they are heaps of fun and can teach you a fair bit about your bike in relative safety. Will hopefully post a better Trip report next week on this one.

Victorian road toll is now up to 32 motorcycle rider deaths this year (with the latest being the death of a woman rider down Melbourne way this morning), compared to 17 for the same period last year.
Media is onto it.
With a statistic like that, I suspect that big brother will now ‘assist’ us with more blitzes/punitive legislation(?), particularly for new starters(??), to save us from ourselves...
:(

DL wrote;>Trip report

Looking forward to it!

On the topic of TR’s.
My trip to 41st Alpine Rally was good but cold, and I didn’t end up checking out remote rock sites.

The site is located in a steepish-sided river valley, and doesn’t get much sun for a good part of the day. Temps were down to -7 C, and I could literally see the frost-ice ‘growing’ across the bike and tent for a while on both days!

An interesting variety of motorcycles turned up, including three wheeled scooter, classic older styles, sidecar outfits, modern road bikes, a couple of Harleys towing trailers, and a handful of dirt oriented machines. Youngest participant was about 20 of age and still on restricted licence, oldest was ..., well, who can tell under those hoary old beards!

Noted with interest that the Tumut-Canberra road is currently in pretty good knick, and there is more tar section/s done since last time I was there. Some corners (did not matter whether dirt or tar), stayed in shade almost all day, and frost ice covered the whole road... Treacherous for traction, and also for sunlight glare off it, if struck at the time it may have got any.

I learnt that packing up a frosted tent isn’t the easy flick-off the frost affair I thought it would be. By the time I had got home, the residual frost still stuck to it had melted, and the whole tent was wet.

Ok a Trip report for my second trackday on my new Buell, Ferris. Got to Braodford Racetrack at about 8:30 or so and signed in, then had my bike looked over by the scrutineer after i had snaffled a spot in the pits. Was a loot busier than the other days i had been too, but that meant more like minded people to talk too. The scrutineering done, which is a pretty painless affair, a quick breifing on the run down for the day, flags and what will happen if you are a tool, either you will fall over or you get sent home.
The riders were broken into 4 different groups, Yellow were the fast guys, Blue the next slowest, then Green and i was in the slow Red group. That is the order the 20min sessions run in and the red group gets 3 laps behind a staff member to get some lines dialed in and to get tyres up to temprature, that in the morning sessions was important as it was bitterly cold. My first session was terrible, a fogged up visor and holding my breath to stop this did not lead to fast laps, but with up to 7 sessions available for the day it wasn't a great loss. Second session was better and the lap times came down a bit, third session the last before lunch was good and had a couple of dices with some other similar speed riders which made it a bit more exciting, not that it really needs it as you head towards "crash corner" doing about 180kmh. The rest of the day was about the same, i did 6 sessions and became more and more comfortable with the track and my bike and that reflected itself in my lap times.
The track is a small technical track with a fantastic surface as they do not have any cars there, so no ripples or braking bumps at all. The people around are great to talk to and have learnt heaps by talking to more experinced riders and racers. So for about $100 to $150 for a day it is money well spent, learn how to push yourself and your bike in a safe, as in no traffic, oil, potholes or police, environment and find out what you bike can really do.

Stayed up and watched the British MotoGP this morning...
Some pretty amazing riding displayed, particularly the 125 cc class where the riding was very aggressive, with not only many leader changes, but lots of physical contact bike to bike/ rider to rider.
~> Good viewing, including the tactics on a fast flowing style of track.

D.L. wote;>So for about $100 to $150 for a day it is money well spent

Does this include hire of full leathers (if they are mandatory), or is more standard dirt style protection (Kevlar jeans/standard riding jacket/boots/gloves/helmet), considered adequate?

>a fogged up visor and holding my breath to stop this

~> Many products out there to minimise this. If I forget to apply it beforehand, or to take some with me on a ride for further application if necessary, I find cracking the visor open a tad lets enough air through to majorly clear the screen, though the high speeds involved at such an event may not make this option feasible.

Way back on 15/12/2008 mockmockmock wrote:>Have you read Twist of the Wrist I or II by Keith Code? They are good>reading. Don't loan it out, you won't get it back.

I have since obtained them and read/re-read them. Twist Of The Wrist II is the better book. Lots of useful information, though I am finding appying some of it is not as easy as I thought.
~> Need to re-read and practise until it comes more naturally..., so I may end up doing some ride days down the track.

You do need full leathers for the day including boots and gloves( full leather of course) but hire for a leather suit is only $50 for the day with an extra $200 if you dirty it up (from either the outside or inside:) ).

Alright, I've come to the conclusion that my bike is a luxury I can't afford at the moment, so sadly I've decided to sell. It's a 2007 Suzuki GS500, learner legal, with low km's and rego until November '11. Fully serviced, well looked after, always garaged etc. See:

Any Chockstome members going to the Superbikes on the 27th of Feb at Phillip Island. Will be heading from Geelong on the Ferry in the Morning if anyone is keen to meet up somewhere. I will (hopefully ) have a group with me already.

On 29/01/2011 mik wrote:>Does my honda TRX 350 4 wheel farm bike with spray tank qualify for this>club?
It is not exclusive, if you enjoy climbing and also riding a motorised chariot or better, then you qualify, as some Chockstoners have more than one interest!